The Traces They Wish to Leave

Contact: Tel: 020 7420 9887, poetrycafe@poetrysociety.org.uk

Modern Romanian Poetry: Sorescu and successors
An evening of modern Romanian poetry translated via the poetry pRO project, an Anglo-Romanian collaboration between 120UK poets and Bucharest University. The Romanian poets’ work will be read by translators from the project and will include major selections from the following, some of whose work is being read for the first time in the UK.

Marin Sorescu (1936–1996)  probably the best known Romanian poet of modern times, whose ironic and comical verse subtly sends up the absurdities of life while taking  a sly swipe at the Communist regime that held power most of his life.

Christiana Maria Perdescu a well-established presence in contemporary Romanian poetry. She has written academic works as well as running her own fashion house. Her poetry has a passionate yet reflective voice with a mystical sensibility in a post-modern setting.

Lucian Vasilescu whose poetry reflects a "strained faith" in things carried by playful rhythmic, staccato verses with leaps into highly-colourful images.

Readers will include:

Anne Stewart, poet, founder of 'poetry p f'and co-founder (with Lidia Vianu, Professor of contemporary British literature at Bucharest University) of 'poetry pRO', co-translator of Lucian Vasilescu's work.

Leah Fritz, author of two prose books in America and four collections of poetry in Britain, who created English versions of Christiana Maria Purdescu's poems from direct translations by Alina-Olimpia Miron, and in conjunction with Graham Mummery.

Graham Mummery, poet and translator who worked with Leah Fritz and Alina-Olimpia Miron on the translation of Christiana Maria Purdescu's book, who will talk about and read from Marin Sorescu's work.

Hosted by Sebastian Hayes. Also see: www.poetryintranslation.org

Price: £5.00 / £3.00

Time: 7:30pm